The Iron Dragon
by inkeddd
Summary: This is a one-shot from the end of the Iron King, where Ash kisses Meghan. It is written from Ash's POV.


**Hey guys! Sorry for disappearing for so long. School takes a lot out of me. I am almost** ** _almost_** **done with that Fairy Tail fanfic, I'll have it up soon. In the mean time, I've written a scene from** ** _The Iron King_** **by Julie Kagawa in Ash's POV. I've noticed that there's not _nearly_ as much Iron Fey fan fiction on here as there should be, so I've decided to write more. Of course, all credit goes to Julie Kagawa. Please review, and enjoy!**

Meghan and I followed the piskie to the bank of a river, where the murky water swirled under the stormy sky. We were both silent, and I matched my pace to that of Meghan's, so that my shoulder nearly brushed hers. After a while, I felt the feather-light touch of Meghan on my hand. Slowly, I curled my fingers around hers.

Several minutes later, we reached the factory, and I could see a steel building standing behind a metal fence. The piskie told me that this was as far as she could go, and warned me about the dangers of the Iron Realm. I nodded gravely, and watched the small, bobbing light disappear over the horizon.

The iron was strong, and as we neared the gate, I could feel the effects of the dangerous metal. It was draining my energy, and although my instincts told me to get as far away from here as possible, I kept on walking, albeit at a slower pace.

"What's the matter?" Meghan's soft voice rang out in the silence.

I grimaced. "Nothing. Just…" I nodded to the fence. "Too much iron. I can feel it from here." The closer we were to the gate, the more I despised walking into a world in which I wasn't at my full capacity.

"Does it hurt?" Meghan's concerned blue eyes met mine.

"No." I shook my head. "I'd have to touch it for that. But it's draining." I hated admitting this to Meghan. She was supposed to be the enemy, although I was beginning to see that she could be something more. "It makes it difficult to use glamour."

Meghan stepped forward and cautiously shook the gate. It was fruitless. The gate wouldn't move, and heavy chains were wrapped around the entrance, padlocked together, and there was some sort of wire that ran along the top of the fence.

 _Too much iron._ I thought. I already felt slightly dizzy because of the iron, and my energy was dwindling by the second.

"Give me your sword." Meghan told me.

I blinked. It still surprised me how strong she was, how strong she could be. She reminded me of another girl, long ago.

"What?" I asked incredulously.

"Give me your sword." she repeated firmly. "We have to get in, and you don't like touching iron, right? Let me have it, and I'll take care of it."

My hand paused at the hilt of the sword, even though I knew Meghan wouldn't turn it against me. She wasn't like that. Dubiously, I pulled the sword and offered it to her, hilt up. Meghan carefully took the sword. Her eyes slightly widened in surprise when she realized how cold it was. Without pausing, she raised it over my head and brought it slashing down on the chain binding the gate. The links snapped as if made of glass, and shattered with a metallic ringing sound. I was yet again surprised at how strong Meghan could be, how sure she was of what she did.

Satisfied, Meghan grabbed the chain, but it burned her hand. She dropped it with a cry. Concerned, I was immediately by her side, reclaiming my sword as Meghan shook her fingers, bouncing up and down in pain. After sheathing the weapon, I snatched her hand and turned it palm up. A line of red was slashed across her fingers.

Meghan's lips were pursed. "I thought I was immune to iron." she sniffed. Her expression was almost identical to that of a certain summer fey, many years ago. I was charged with the sudden desire to kiss her, to know her, _really_ know her, even though I knew I couldn't. I was Winter, she was Summer. It was that simple. I sighed.

"You are," I murmured, moving away from her before I could be seized up by desire. Although I should have been annoyed at Meghan, I was exasperated. "However," I continued, amused. "grabbing super chilled metal is still very unpleasant for Summer fey, no matter who you are."

"Oh." Her voice was so small, so vulnerable. I realized that for the first time in many years, I felt… _alive._ I decided to let down the mask I had hidden behind for many years, for a bit. I couldn't resist.

I shook my head, grabbing her hand again. "It's not frostbitten," I muttered, pausing for effect before I said the next part. "It'll blister, but you should be fine. You might only lose a couple of fingers."

Meghan glanced at me sharply, alarmed. I smirked when I realized that I had finally rendered her speechless.

"That's not funny," she hissed, fruitlessly swatting at me with my other hand. I dodged easily, still amused.

"You're a lot like her," I mused softly. Before she could say anything, I turned, drew my sword, and cut the chains off the gate. It swung open with a loud creak. I looked around the compound, hoping that the sound wasn't loud enough to draw anyone to our location.

I looked at Meghan again, her soft blonde hair, her striking blue eyes, and slender figure. Once again, I was struck at how vulnerable she was in this dangerous world of faery.

"Stay close to me," I muttered to her as we eased our way inside.

Immense mountains of scrap metal was piled around the yard as we cautiously walked through it, the sharp edges glinting in the faint rays of dawn. As we passed each one, I could sense that the toll the iron was having at me was worsening. Still, I was alert, and warily eyed the mounds of metal. Some strange fey scurried through this foreign world of iron, tiny men with tails and ratlike features. The metal rusted away under their teeth as they nibbled on a piece of metal. Although they didn't even glance in our direction, I shuddered each time one of them passed us. I didn't know what these creatures were, and I certainly didn't want them attacking us.

The iron door had more chains wrapped around them, but the ice blade cut through them easily. As I stood at the threshold, my gaze swept around the dark room uncomfortably. The entire warehouse was full of iron, and I heard skittering noises in the corner.

Meghan had already stepped inside, and I watched as steam coming from a nearby grate coiled around her legs. Having seen he grate, Meghan walked to the grate.

"Meghan, stop!" I yelled suddenly. Something didn't feel right.

Suddenly, she stumbled back as a mound of metal began to move, screeching. Sparks flew as a long neck made of iron, wire, and broken glass rose from the jumbled glass. An iron dragon glared down at Meghan, shards of metal bristling from its skull. The entire mound lurched up, shifting into a huge lizard of iron and steel, with curved metal talons and a jagged, spiked tail.

The dragon roared, a deafening metallic screech. I watched, frozen for a moment as it lunged, and Meghan scrambled behind another mound. It hissed and followed, steam erupting from its gaping jaws, steel talons clanking over the floor.

All of a sudden, I wasn't in the Iron Realm anymore. I was whisked to a world of memories, in a certain hollow long, long ago. I held a slim, bloodied figure in my arms, watching as desperately whispered my name. Watching as she took her last breath. Watching as she faded away.

 _Ariella._

I couldn't - I wouldn't let the same thing happen to Meghan. I drew my sword and manipulated the glamour around me so that a volley of ice darts struck the dragon in the head. However, they harmlessly shattered off its skull. The dragon turned toward me, screaming and raging. Lashing its tail, the dragon charged, sparks flying from its claws.

I closed my eyes for a moment, slightly swaying on my feet. I was rapidly loosing my strength, until I remembered Ariella again. I would fight. For her. For Meghan.

I knelt and drove my sword into the floor, concentrating my glamour into the point of my sword. There was a flash of light, and ice spread rapidly from the tip, covering the ground and coating everything in shining crystal. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Meghan shivering as the scrap metal frosted over, radiating absolute cold.

I leaped aside as the dragon reached me, moving as easily on ice as I would on normal ground. My plan worked, and the dragon slammed into the wall, bits of metal flying everywhere. It hissed and struggled to rise, sliding on the slick floor, tail thrashing. I jumped forward and blew out a long whistle, sending an icy whirlwind spinning through the air. The dragon shrieked as the blizzard whipped around it, coating it with frost and snow. The dragon let out a feeble roar, its struggles growing weaker as ice weighted it down.

I stopped, panting heavily. Swaying, I staggered away from the frozen dragon and leaned back against the post, closing my eyes. The fight had taken more energy from me than I had thought. I distantly heard Meghan's footsteps as she half ran, half stumbled over to me.

"Are you all right?" her voice was soft, concerned.

However, yet again, I was in the world of memory, far away. Once again, I witnessed the scene where I watched Ariella again. I watched as her lips whispered my name with no sound. As she took her last breath. As she faded away.

"Never again." I muttered to myself. "I will not watch that happen again. I won't…lose another…like that. I can't…"

"Ash?" whispered a soft voice. I felt a surprisingly warm touch on my arm.

My eyes flew open and met her blue orbs, confused. "Meghan," I murmured, shaking my head. I blinked, to make sure that she was still there. "Why didn't you run? I tried to buy you some time. You should've gone ahead."

Meghan sounded exasperated. "Are you crazy? I couldn't leave you to that thing. Now, come on." She took my hand, gently tugging me off the post as she glanced nervously at the frozen dragon. "Let's get out of here. I think that thing just blinked at us."

It was then that I realized that she was so much like Ariella, but so different at the same time. Meghan was half-human, bound by her personal loyalty. Suddenly, I was seized by desire yet again. This time, I let it overcome me as my fingers tightened on hers and pulled her forward. Startled and overbalanced, she looked up at me, her innocent blue eyes a sea of emotion, swirling. And then I was kissing her.

She froze, but only for a moment. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she rose on tiptoes to meet my lips, kissing me back with a hunger that surprised us both. I crushed her close, thinking only of her as her hands ran through my hair. Her lips were warm on mine, and my mouth tingled. For a moment, there were no courts. For a moment, there was no contract. For a moment, there was only this. Only us.

But this couldn't last forever, and I pulled back, slightly out of breath. She rested her head on my shoulder, and my hand gently combed through her hair. Meghan had awoken something in me. She had pulled off the mask I had hidden behind for so long and threw it away. I trembled. I was _alive._

Of course, I thought of the courts next. I knew what happened to couples split between the courts. We could never be together. My heart sank.

"This isn't good." I murmured, my voice curiously shaken. Still, I couldn't bring myself to release her.

"I know." Meghan whispered back.

"The Courts would kill us if they found out."

"Yeah."

"Mab would accuse me of treason. Oberon would believe I'm turning you against him. They'd both see grounds for banishment, or execution." I hated admitting it aloud, hated telling her the truth so bluntly. Yet it had to be done.

"I'm sorry." Meghan replied quietly, unsure of what else to say.

 _As if it is your fault._ I thought to myself. Because deep down, I knew that this was all my fault. I was the one who let my guard down. I was the one who let her in. I was the one falling for am innocent half-human, half-faery girl.

I sighed, burying my face in her soft blonde hair. Meghan shivered, her cool breath on my neck. Neither of us said anything for a long time. I was in far too deep.

"We'll think of something." she ventured.

I nodded wordlessly and pulled away, but stumbled as I took a step back. For a moment, I had almost forgotten how much energy I had lost. Meghan caught my arm again.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"I'll be fine." I released her elbow. "Too much iron. The spell took a lot out of me."

"Ash-"

A piercing crack interrupted us. The dragon freed a forepaw and smashed it to the floor. More cracks appeared as it struggled to rise, shedding ice. There was no way I would be able to fight the creature again.

I grabbed her hand and we fled, deeper into the Iron Realm.


End file.
